Page 387 - Revised Unified Sports Curriculum electronic version Rev. 8.1_2

SOFTBALL

SPORT RULES

The fielder taking the throw at first base, or
The thrown ball, preventing a fielder from making a play at first base.
Note: A thrown ball striking a batter-runner does not necessarily constitute interference

Interferes with a fielder attempting to field a batted ball.
Note: The batter-runner may run outside the one-meter line to avoid a fielder attempting to
field the batted ball.
Interferes with a fielder attempting to throw a ball.
Intentionally interferes with a thrown ball.
Interferes with a fair-batted ball (out of the batter's box) before reaching first base.
Throws his bat, after batting the ball, in such a manner as to cause interference with a
fielder’s opportunity to make an out.
Note: If this interference is, in the umpire’s judgment, an obvious attempt to prevent a double
play, the runner closest to home plate at the time of the interference shall also be called out.
When he interferes with a play at home plate in an attempt to prevent an obvious out at the
plate.
Note: The runner is also out.
When he steps back toward home plate to avoid or delay a tag by a fielder.
If, when using the double base in a force play situation, he touches only the fair portion of
the base and collides with a fielder who is about to catch a thrown ball and who is also using
the fair portion of the base..
When a team member of the team at bat, who is not participating in the game, interferes
with a player attempting to field a batted foul fly ball or with a foul fly ball that a fielder is
attempting to catch.
Exception: If this interference occurs while there are runners on base, then the runner closest to
home at the time of the interference is out.
Note: In this case the batter-runner returns to bat with an additional strike on the foul ball,
provided the count prior to hitting the ball was less than two strikes. If this is the third strike, the
batter-runner is also out, unless the third out of the inning was the runner interference call, in
which case the batter-runner shall be considered to have completed his turn at bat.
Effect: The ball is dead and all runners must return to the last base legally touched at the
time of the pitch.
Exception: If a play is made on a runner prior to the interference, and
An out is made on the runner, the result of that play shall stand.
No out is made on the runner, the result of that play shall stand, unless the
interference by the batter-runner is the third out. Other runners not played on
must return to the last base legally held at the time of the pitch..
When, with less than two outs and a runner on first base, a fielder intentionally drops a fair
fly ball (including a line drive or a bunt) that could be caught by an infielder with ordinary
effort, after it is controlled with a hand or a glove.
Note: A trapped ball, or a fly ball allowed to bounce, shall not be considered as having been
intentionally dropped.
Effect: The ball is dead and the runners must return to last base held at the time of the pitch.
Note : If an infield fly is ruled, it has precedence over an intentionally dropped ball.

32 VERSION: June 2018
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